The subject matter herein relates generally to an electrical device having a circuit board and one or more differential pairs of signal conductors with exposed wire-terminating ends and a drain wire that are terminated to the circuit board.
Various types of electrical devices may include circuit boards that are electrically coupled to differential pairs of signal conductors or, more specifically, pairs of signal conductors that transmit differential signals. For example, at least some known communication cables include a differential pair of signal conductors and a drain wire (also referred to as a grounding wire) that extends alongside the signal conductors for the length of the communication cable. The signal conductor(s) and the drain wire may be surrounded by a shield layer that, in turn, is surrounded by a cable jacket. The shield layer includes a conductive foil that, along with the drain wire, functions to shield the signal conductor(s) from electromagnetic interference (EMI) and generally improve performance. At an end of the communication cable, the cable jacket, the shield layer, and insulation that covers the signal conductor(s) may be removed (e.g., stripped) to expose the signal conductor(s). The drain wire and the exposed portions of the conductor(s) may then be mechanically and electrically coupled (e.g., soldered) to corresponding elements of an electrical device. However, connecting the drain wire can be problematic and result in unreliable connections.
Accordingly, there is a need for an electrical device that provides simple and reliable termination of a cable drain wire to a circuit board.